Can punching device



May 16, 1944. J. M. AKERS CAN PUNCHING DEVICE Filed July 29, 1943WINESSES:

Patented May 16, 1944 lT-ED Y STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN YPUNCHING DeviceJohn-l; AKBI'S, Charleston, W. Va. Application July 29, 1943, Serial-No.496,651

5 'Cl a'ims. 7 (01. 3 -16 This invention relates to can punchingdevices, and its general object is to provide a device that is designedfor punching -a pair. of diametrically opposite holes in the top-wall ofa can of liquid, such as milk with minimum effort on the part of theuser and .in 'asingleoperation so :as to bring about the pouring. of thecontents from the can, and one of the holes acts as a vent and thecotherfor the passage of the icontentstherethrough.

An important object is to provide av can punching device which has the:pouring hole penetrating. element arranged forflpunching that hole atthe juncture'of the :top wall of the can 'with the cylindrical wallthereof, :thus making it possible to drain the entire contents from thecan.

A 'furtherob'ject is to provide a can punching device thatis simple inconstruction, inexpensive to manufacture and .extremely eflicient inoperation, use-'and' service.

This invention also :consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination andarrangement .of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accom- -panyin'g drawingandspecifically "pointed out in the appended claims.

In-describing the invention in detail, reference will be had totheaccompanying drawing wherein the same characters denote the same :partsthroughout theseveral viewsyand in which:

Figure 1 is :a vertical sectional view taken through my device andillustrates the same a1)- plied to a can, aswell as with parts in aposition :prior to the punching stroke, in :full lines :and

after the punching stroke has beencompleted in dottedlines.

.Figure 2 is a sectional view taken approximatelyon line 2--2 of Figure.1, looking in the directionof the arrows. 1

Figure 3 is a bottom ,plan view of the device. Figure '4 is a sectionalview taken approximatelyonline-t-t of Figure 1,.looking in thedirectionvof the arrows.

Referring 'totheld'rawing in detail, the letter A indicates a can of:the usual sealed type commonly used Jfor condensed -milk or .other.liquid.

Mydevice in the form shown includes an elongated bodyin .theform ofacasing provided with :side and end walls I and 2 respectively and a topwall 3, the latter having a slot 4 extending longitudinally thereof for--a portion of its length, as .bestshown in Figure l, and the bottomofthe ho'dyor casing iscornpletely open. One end :wall has .an inturnedflange 1 5 formed thereon to .underlie the open bottom of the casing,and the .fiange is disposed ;at:a slight downward inclinaandthe portions1 and H1, to allow free movement of the strip.

tion, :as well as is providedwith a toothed arcuate inner "edge tofollow the curvature .of the cylindrical wall of the can, the flangeproviding one of the clamping jaws for the device for en- I gagementwith the can, as shown.

Cooperating with thefiange or jaw 5 is .a companion jaw 6 having atoothed arcuate inner edge for engagement with the can diametricallyopposite the first jaw, andthe jaw 6 is formed on and inwardly directedat a slight downward inclination from the downturned vertical endportion i1 of a strip 8 that bears against the under face of the topwall 3 for slidalole movement, and

"said jaw is held accordingly by pins 9 secured to andh'ridging the sidewall I. The strip 8 is .provided with a downturned portion H) at the endthereof opposite the portion 1, and the portion 1-9 which is inwardlyinclined provides an abutmen't member for a purpose which will be laterdescriloed- The strip 8 is of a lengthfor dis- .posingthe portions 1 and10 adjacent to the end walls .2, with ample space between the end'wallssliding 'Welded 'or "otherwise secured to and bridging the sidewalls -lis apalr'of-Spacedblocks H- and I2 respectively, and each block isprovided with a verticalbor'e "extending therethrough. Slidably mountedin'thebore of the block l I is the headed shank of a penetrating elementIt, while a like element M :has its-shank slidably mounted in the block12. The shanks of the elements I3 and M are of greater length than thatof the "cores, so as to extend through the same an ample distance toperform their penetrating function, and the heads are engageable withthe tops of the mocks to limit downward movement of the elements, aswill be apparent upon inspection of Figure l. The'lo-we'r ends o'fthe-shanks are of conical formation to provide penetrating points topierce the top wall of the can, and the element It is of'greaterdiameter than that of the element l3, as the element 14 providesthepouring hole in the can, while the element 13 provides the vent hole.

The block i2 is'arranged relative to the device, so that the penetratingelement It will pierce the top'wall of ,the can-at its juncture with thecylindrical wall thereof, for the'pouring opening to be arrangedaccordingly. That featuremakes it possible to drain the entire contentsfrom the can, and the block II is arranged so'that thepenetratingelement I3 will provide the vent hole 55 :a slight distanceinwardly of the periphery of the top wall of the can, as best shown inFigure 1.

Th strip 8 is provided with a slot I5 extending longitudinally thereofand arranged therein for registration with the slot 4, and extendingthrough the slots is a hand lever I6 having a cam member I! formed onthe inner end thereof. The cam member I! is mounted on a pin like shaftI8 for rocking movement of the hand lever and the shaft l8 is secured toand bridges the side walls I adjacent the abutment member Ill, forengagement of the cam member with the abutment member, as shown inFigure 1, which the remaining portion thereof, and secured to the upperend of the portion I9 is a disk like member 20 providing a button thatis preferably of concavo-convex formation with its convexed faceuppermost to fit the'palm" of the'hand of the user, and it will-'benoted as best'shownin Figure 1 that the hand lever engages the head ofthe penetrating element I4 for forcing the same into the top wall'of thecan to provide the pouring opening. 1

Engaging the head of the penetrating element I3 is a lever 2| that isformed with'a bearing collar 22 at one end and the collar'is mounted ona pin like shaft 23 for rocking movement of the lever 2|. The shaft 23is secured to and bridges the side walls I adjacent to the end wallopposing the end wall which has the shaft I8 arranged adjacent thereto,and'the lever 2| is directed toward the hand lever I6, as well as isprovided with a downwardly inclined free end portion 24' that has thehand lever disposed in bearing engagement with the upper face thereof,as clearly shown in Figure 1, so that'the lever 2I is moved against thepenetrating element I3 upon downward movement of the hand lever, for thepenetrating element to pierce the top wall of the can to provide thevent opening therein. A stop pin 25 is secured to and bridges the sidewalls for disposal in the path of the lever 2I to limit downwardmovement of the levers.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawing, it is believedthat the operation of my device will be obvious, but it might bementioned that the parts are arranged in the full line'position ofFigure 1,thence the device is applied to the can. Upon downward movementof the hand lever the cam member I! will slide the strip 8 for disposingthe jaws in clamping engagement'with the cylindrical wall of the can.Simultaneously with the clamping action of the jaws,"the levers I6 and2! will force the penetrating elements through the .top wall of the can,and thus provide the pouring and vent holes and arrangement of. theseveral parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim: I

l. A can punching device comprising a casing, a pair of blocks securedvwithin the casing in spaced relation to each other, penetrating meansmounted for slidable movement through the blocks, handled meansassociated with the penetrating means for moving the same to penetratingposition, and clamping means included in the device and having thehandled means associated therewith for moving the same in engagementwith the can simultaneously with the movement of the penetrating meansto piercing position.

- 2-. A can punching device comprising'a casing, a pair of blockssecured within the casing in spaced relation to each other, penetratingelements mounted for slidable movement through the blocks, a hand leverextending through the tion I9 of the lever is bent at right angles tocasing and having its inner end pivotally mounted within the casing,said lever being engaged with one of said elements for moving the sameto piercing position, a second lever pivotally mounted within the casingand engaged with the other penetrating element for moving the sametopiercing position," said handlever being engaged with the'second'lever for moving the latter against its piercing element, andcan clamping means included in the'device-and having the hand leverassociated therewith for 'moving the clamping means in engagement withthe can simultaneously with the movement of the penetrating elements. v

3. A can punching device comprising a casing, a pair of blocks securedwithin the casing in spaced relation to each other, penetrating elementsmounted for slidable movement through the blocks, a hand lever extendingthrough the casing and having its inner end pivotally mounted within thecasing, said lever being engaged with one of said elements for movingthe same to piercing position, a second lever pivotally mounted withinthe casing and engaged with the other penetrating element for moving thesame to piercing position, said hand lever being engaged with the secondlever for moving the latter against its penetrating element, a canclamping jaw formed on the casing, means slidably mounted within thecasing, a can clamping jaw formed on said slidably mounted means, andcam means secured to the hand lever and engaged .with said slidablymounted means 'for disposing the jaws in clamping engagement with thecan simultaneously with the movement of the penetrating elements topiercing position.

4. A can punching device comprising an elongated casing including top',side and end walls and an open bottom; said top wall having a slotextending longitudinally thereof for a portion of its length, a pair ofblocks secured to and bridging the side walls in spaced relation to eachother, headed penetrating elements mounted for slidable movement throughthe blocks, a hand lever extending through the slot and having its innerend pivotally mounted within the casing, a hand receiving disk membersecured to the outer end of the hand lever, said lever being engagedwith the head of one element for moving the same to piercing position, asecond lever pivotally mounted withinthe casing and engaged with thehead of the other penetrating element for moving the same to piercingposition, said hand lever being engaged with the second lever for movingspaced relation to each other, penetrating elements mounted for slidablemovement through the blocks, a hand lever extending through the casingand having its inner end pivotally mounted within the casing, said leverbeing engaged with one of said elements for moving the same to piercingposition, a second lever pivotally mounted within the casing and engagedwith the other penetrating element for moving the same to piercingposition, said hand lever being engaged with the second lever for movingthe latter against its penetrating element, can clamping means includedin the device and having the hand lever associated therewith for movingthe clamping means in engagement with the can simultaneously with themovement of the penetrating elements to piercing position, one of saidpenetrating elements being of greater diameter than that of the otherelement to provide a pouring hole in the top wall of the can and thelatter element providing a vent hole in said top wall, and the pouringhole providing element being arranged for disposing its hole at thejuncture of 15 said top wall with the cylindrical wall of the can.

JOHN M. AIQERS.

